Lily and the Damsel
by JailyForever
Summary: Lily hears the cries of someone in distress and rushes to help. Written for QL: Season 5 Round 5. Thank you to my teammates who beta'd


**Team:** Holyhead Harpies

 **Position:** Keeper

 **Prompt:** Daffodil (as inspired by Narcissa Malfoy): Write about a character acting chivalrous, or having another character acting chivalrous towards your character.

 **Soulmate AU:** Name on wrist

 **Word Count:** 1142

* * *

Lily and the "Damsel"

Lily saddled up her horse as she did every morning. Ever since she had come of inheriting age, Lily had made it part of her daily routine to go for a ride into town to learn more about the land and property which would become hers when she became the liege lady of Godric's Hollow.

She felt that it was only right that she get to know the land and the people she would be ruling over if she was going to be a fair and just Lady of the town.

After she had ensured that the saddle was secure on the horse, Lily mounted the mare and set off towards the town.

As she came to the edge of the woods, Lily heard the sound of screams.

"Help!" she heard a voice cry. Lily pulled on the reins, halting her horse in its tracks as she strained her ears. "Someone help!"

Lily realised she recognised the voice. It was the voice of the man who she had found herself encountering more and more over the last few months. He was always in some kind of trouble and, being the lady she was, she did what any other woman would do in her shoes—she aided the man in distress.

She tugged on the reins and urged her horse to turn right and head towards the voice. As the horse galloped closer, Lily took one hand off the reins and reached for her sword—after all, she couldn't be sure what dangerous situation the mysterious stranger had managed to land himself in this time.

In no time at all Lily reached a clearing. She saw the wolf hovering over the dark haired man, snarling and baring its teeth, readying itself to attack. The man's hands were raised over his face protectively as he shuffled backwards and quickly met a tree.

Knowing she had to act immediately, Lily drew her sword and raced towards them on her horse. She aimed her sword directly at the beast and thrust it through its chest. The wolf keeled over and fell to the ground. Lily turned to the man who was seemingly uninjured as he lowered his arms from his face and looked up at her.

"The beast is slain, my good sir," Lily said, jumping down from her horse and approaching the man lying on the ground and offering him her hand.

The bespectacled man gratefully took her hand and Lily helped pull him to his feet.

"Thank you, my lady," he replied, bowing lowly.

"You really should be more careful in these woods," Lily told him, "especially at this time of day. I dread to think what would have happened if I had not been riding by."

The man nodded his head in agreement, although Lily detected a hint of a smile on his face.

"May I offer you a ride home?" Lily offered politely. Although she was slightly irked by this man's irresponsibility, it would not be becoming of her to leave him stranded in the woods given his penchant for getting himself into trouble.

"That would be most appreciated, my lady," he answered, his hazel eyes sparkling, "so long as it is not too much trouble."

"I would not have offered if that was the case," she replied, taking hold of her horse's reins and hoisting herself onto its back.

Lily offered the dark haired man her hand, which he took gratefully, and pulled him onto the horse in front of her.

"Hold onto the reins tightly," Lily told him. "My trusty mare and I will have you home in no time at all."

Lily gave her horse a tap on the side with her foot and tugged on the reins, encouraging her mare to set a steady pace towards the town.

"You live in the house near Padfoot and Moony's, is that correct?" Lily asked, slowing the horse's pace to a trot, as they reached the main road.

"I do indeed," the bespectacled man replied. "My two best friends own the pub."

"That is quite a feat for two men in today's society," Lily commented. "They must be quite the pair of entrepreneurs."

"Indeed they are," he answered.

Silence fell between the two of them as the horse trotted along the road, and within a few minutes they had reached the house at the end of the road, just a few doors down from the popular local pub.

Lily pulled on the reins and her horse drew to a stop. Carefully, she dismounted the horse and, once again, she offer the man her hand and assisted him off the horse.

"Allow me to escort you to your door," Lily offered once he was safely on the ground.

She offered the man her arm, which he looped around hers quickly, and together they walked towards his front door.

"My good sir, may I inquire as to your name?" Lily asked. "We have encountered each other several times now and I am still none the wiser."

"James Potter, my lady," he answered immediately.

 _I know that name,_ Lily thought to herself as her wrist began to tingle.

"It is a pleasure to officially make you acquaintance, Mr Potter," Lily said, smiling brightly at him. "In the future, may I suggest you come to court if you wish to see me?"

"I am quite sure I have no idea what you mean," James rushed out, not quite looking her in the eye as he spoke.

"Do you expect me to believe that all these dangerous situations you somehow get yourself into as I pass by is a mere coincidence?" Lily asked, raising an eyebrow. When James didn't reply, Lily smiled. "I thought as much."

"It got your attention though," James replied, smirking slightly. "If I had just been another face in the crowd at court, would you have noticed me?"

"I guess we will never know now, will we?" Lily answered as they reached James' front door. "Well, this is where I leave you. Until the next time we meet, Mr Potter."

Lily leaned forward and tenderly kissed James on the cheek before turning on her heel and strolling back towards her horse with a smile planted firmly on her face.

She mounted her horse and took one last long look at James Potter, who was still standing in front of a closed door, before taking the reins of her horse and giving the mare a nudge in the side, encouraging her to set off back towards the castle.

As soon as she was a safe distance way, she tugged on the reins one more, halting her horse's movement. She lifted the sleeve on her arm and smiled as she read the two words on her wrist—the words which only ever resided on a woman's wrist—the name of her soulmate.

 _James Potter._


End file.
